ZATR Broken
by BadCat1Thecutedemon
Summary: After an accident, Zim is taken to a hospital. Without can out, his only constant companion is Tak.
1. Ch 1 Accident

It was a Monday morning. In an Irken house, a small robot with blue eyes was on the couch watching TV with what looked like a monkey growling on the screen.  
"I love this show" Gir said smiling  
A small green creature came out of the trash-elevator and stopped in the middle of the room, looking at the robot and then to the TV.  
"That monkey." Zim said sharply.  
"You didn't have to be somewhere master?" Gir asked without diverting his eyes from the television.  
"You're talking about school? No, the classes were suspended because of a mutant rat infestation." Zim said absently, sitting on the couch next to Gir.  
The robot looked at the Irken with a blank expression for a brief moment.  
"WE GO WALK!" Gir shouted happy.  
"No Gir, I have more important things to do than walking on this filthy planet."  
Gir whimpered. Zim now turned his attention to the robot that threatened to start screaming uncontrollably.  
"Okay, I think we can take a walk." Zim said without interest. "But we're not going to the city center like last time."  
"I ate a cupcake there." Gir paused. "I miss him." He looked down, feeling sad.  
"Yes, yes, whatever." Zim murmured as he put on his disguise.  
The two get out, Zim holding a leash with Gir, who was walking happy among small jumps. The day was not really bad, it wasn't very hot and there were no clouds in the sky. The day was tranquil in fact.  
Zim did not want to walk around however. He had no idea where to go. Then Zim let the robot guide him anywhere he wanted. They walked for a while (an hour maybe?), the Irken was distracted by what was happening around him. When he returned to himself, he noted that Gir had brought him to a park.  
Unlike the rest of the city, this was a beautiful place surrounded by trees and flowers and it had no sign of "urbanization" beyond some banks and roads for the visitors walk without problems.  
"You haven't chosen a bad place this time Gir." Zim said as he looked around the place curiously.  
"You like master? You'll LOVE knowing that I also found your friend!" Gir screamed happy and started running, pulling Zim along with him.  
"Huh? What are you talking about? ZIM HAS NO FRIENDS AND DOESN'T NEED FRIENDS! GIR STOP RUNNING!" Zim screamed trying to unwind the collar off his hand as he was obliged to follow Gir.  
Then he stopped in front of a bank where a blue-haired girl was sitting.  
"Wow, you can't even control your SIR? You're more pathetic every day." Tak said sarcastically.  
"YOU SAY LIES!" Zim turn to Gir. "Gir! Tak isn't my friend! She tried to ruin our mission, don't you remember?" He asked angrily.  
"So she's your girlfriend?"  
"Eww! No way." Zim said with some disgust.  
Tak also shivered a little with that idea.  
"And you, what are you doing here? Following me to try to find one of my brilliant plans?" Zim continued, now yelling at Tak.  
"Brilliant?" She said sharply. "Of course not, I have nothing to do, like you."  
"What do you wan-"  
"MASTER! I FOUND MORE FRIENDS!"  
Zim turned to Gir, but he was not in the dog-collar. He heard Gir screaming happily again, but this time from somewhere else. Zim looked up and saw the little robot on top of a large tree, along with some creatures that looked like squirrels.  
"Gir! Get out of there now!"  
"I can't! The squirrels said you need to come here." Gir smiled "I think they want to make tacos with us."  
Zim growled something under his breath before approaching the tree. He looked around the park. With the exception of Tak, there was only one old woman who was feeding the pigeons and some children playing near a lake (probably too young to go to school, I don't know). He felt there was no problem using his Pak to climb the tree.  
A pair of spider legs came out of his back and in a few seconds Zim was in the top of the tree. He glanced down, the tree it was higher than it appeared before. Zim leaned on a bough close to where the robot was.  
"Fine! Now get down Gir." Zim yelled impatiently.  
"But the squirrels want tacos." Gir was a little sad.  
"I don't care." Zim leaned a bit to take Gir.  
The sudden movement startled the squirrels. They jumped up to Zim, scratching his face and biting him.  
"Aww… They like you, master." Gir watched with a smile.  
"Gah! Take these grotesque creatures off me!" Zim was struggling, trying to get the squirrels off him.  
For a moment, he only cared to make those squirrels stop, but then the Irken felt his blood run cold at the sound of a bough breaking. There was no time to do anything, when Zim noticed he was struggling in the air, with some squirrels still trying to bite him. And moments later he was on the floor.  
The impact was very strong. He felt a sharp pain in the chest and one of his legs, opening his eyes once more he heard screams from the children that stopped playing and a little robot running toward him. After that, things got too blurry to distinguish anything.  
Then everything was dark.


	2. Ch 2 Little Prison

He opened his eyes. His head throbbed. The irken looked at the place, it was almost all white, and then he realized that he was lying on a bed.  
He lay there for a few more minutes until he felt he could sit up, so, he did.  
"Where I am?" He asked himself.  
"In a human hospital, you jerk." A voice answered, coming from his right.  
He looked over and saw Tak sitting in a chair beside his bed, reading a book quietly.  
"Why I am here?" His voice quickly changed to an angry tone.  
She had no time to respond. A man in a white coat entered the room holding a clipboard.  
"Looks like your friend awoke up." The doctor said.  
"He isn't my friend." Tak growled.  
"Why I am here?" Zim repeated, this time speaking a little louder.  
"Looks like you had a bad fall." The man said, looking at some papers stuck on the clipboard. " You broke your left leg and two ribs."  
"What? How?"  
"You fell from the front, idiot." Tak said seeming not to care.  
The doctor looked at them, confused, shook his head, then continued.  
"Well, if it was not your friend, I think it would have been worse for you. She warned us of the accident." The doctor pointed to Tak. She looked down, pretending not to hear, so, he left the room in silence.  
Zim looked around for a few minutes, thinking about all that had happened. He focused again and gave an annoyed look to Tak.  
"Why are you here?"  
"They did X-rays of you, I needed to replace them for one of a normal human, if they found out that you're not a human it would be dangerous to the identity of the Irkens." She responded angrily and took a stack of photos and gave them to Zim. "These are the originals."  
Zim looked at her blankly for a moment.  
"And why did you bring me here? Gir could have taken me to my base and I would be fine by now!"  
Tak smiled wickedly. "Exactly. Don't see this as just a human hospital, see it like a… little prison."  
Zim looked surprised, but kept the same tone of voice.  
"Why would you want me trapped?"  
"Without you disturbing me, I can take your mission with no problem." Tak said in a teasing tone.  
"NO WAY! I will not let you take my mission."  
"And how will you do that?"  
Zim was silent; he had no idea. The silence was broken by the door opening suddenly. Then a green dog ran into the room and then jumping in the lap of Zim.  
"Master! I found you!" Gir shouted happily embracing the Irken who moaned softly at the pain in his ribs.  
"Looks like your stupid robot really can do something." Tak got up to leave.  
"Of course he can!" Zim screamed before she left the room. "Wait…"  
"I think she likes you." Gir said after Tak leave the room.  
"No, she doesn't like! And I hate her! And I'm not okay just because you are here, GIR!"  
"Don't be sad master; the squirrels said they were sorry."  
"Yes, I see that you will not understand… So, we need a way to get out of here, I still do not know how to, but I think we can-"  
"IT'S TIME FOR SCARY MONKEY SHOW!" Gir suddenly screamed and ran from the room laughing.  
"Gir! We don't have time for your stupid show!" But Gir was too far away to hear him.  
Zim sighed, it seemed he would have to stay a while at the hospital. He flipped through the radiographs. It was like what the doctor had described, Tak must have replaced them with a human X-ray with similar injuries. The radiograph of the leg is a little scary; the bone was completely broken in two parts.  
He deduced that he fell on his leg. Zim tore the pictures and threw them in a dumpster near his bed, the skeleton of an Irken was not very different that of a human, but it was enough to see that he was not a human.  
He looked at his leg in plaster. His head ached and the idea of having his cover revealed tormented him. Zim pulled the blanket, covering his whole body, he felt horrible and angry, it was all because of Tak, she managed to screw up all again. He had to stop her. It was like everything was collapsing around him! And if she could take over Earth? He would lose the respect of The Tallest; he would not be an invader. He would be banished from his planet, and be killed!  
He just wanted everything to be nothing more than a horrible dream, and he wanted to wake up in the classroom and take a scolding from the teacher. He could go home… and then continue planning to destroy the Earth.  
But it wasn't a dream.


	3. Ch 3 Together

Having already spent two days in the hospital, after a few failed attempts of trying to escape, Zim saw that he could not leave that place alone. But he had no one to help him. Zim could not communicate anymore with Gir, probably due to some interference. Every minute seemed like hours in that place where the Irken had no option but to wait for something to happen.  
But that was not the biggest problem. Tak was the problem. That tormented his mind; he couldn't rest easy for a single moment.  
"She may be planning something now. She may be destroying the city now. She may be enslaving humans now. She may be telling The Tallest about my failure now. She may be leading them to this room now. And then they will laugh at me, and then kill me!" Zim thought, paranoid while he looked at the ceiling. "And everything will end."  
He looked out the window, after a few hours he found that he was on the sixth floor of the hospital. The sky was overcast and had a heavy look.  
That's when Zim had time to think. Then he heard the door opening and felt his whole body go into shock.  
"I was right? I would dead and humiliated?" The Irken turned; his whole body trembled.  
He saw Tak, but she was not smiling, as if she was going to kill him. And she was alone; she had no other person with her.  
After that observation, Zim relaxed. Everything was fine…until now.  
"What do you want? Came to tell me your amazing plan?" Zim said with sarcasm. He would not show weakness so easily.  
"I wouldn't talk about these things for everyone, little man." Tak threw a book at him sharply.  
Zim clenched his fists. Tak had given that name a while ago, as a provocation, because he was so small. He hated it when she called him little man.  
"Do not call me that." He snorted before picking up the book. "What is this?"  
"I don't know. Your idiot SIR came to my base and started crying asking me to bring it to you."  
"Gir? Where is he now?"  
"How should I know? I'm not taking care of your stupid robot."  
Zim opened the book and read a short paragraph, then realized it was a story about romance.  
"What's it about?" Tak leaned on Zim's bed raising an eyebrow curiously.  
"Nothing!" Zim nervously closed the book when noticed that she had begun to read. "It's just a stupid article about pigs."  
Tak looked at him suspiciously for a moment.  
"Well then if that was all I'll go lea-" She looked out the window and to her unhappiness a storm had begun. "Stupid human rain!" Tak muttered and sat on the chair beside the bed.  
"I think you'll have to put up with me a little longer." Zim smiled wickedly.  
"You better be very quiet, or I'll break what's left of your bones." She growled staring menacingly at the little Irken.  
As Tak arrived late in the afternoon, it did not take a long time for night to arrive.  
Zim had nothing to do during all that time, and he spent the last two nights stressed. But as Tak was with him, she couldn't do any planning. Then Zim fell asleep. Tak walked toward the door. All she wanted to do was leave that place.  
She turned the knob, but the door didn't open.  
"What the…" She tried a few more times, without success, and then a laugh came from Zim's bed.  
"The door is locked. You can't get out." He laughed sarcastically.  
"You weren't asleep?"  
"Yes, but you know Irkens don't need it. But it's fun to try."  
Tak looked at him angrily, but then she was confused.  
"How do you know that the door was locked?" She leaned on the bed staring coldly at Zim.  
Zim's smile disappeared. He stared at the wall, looking uncomfortable.  
"I…" He seemed to have difficulty choosing the right words. "Maybe… I've tried to escape… sometimes…" Zim spoke softly. He didn't look directly at Tak. "I think they already knew I'd try it…"  
"You really don't like this place, do you?" Tak pulled her chair closer and stayed prone on the bed.  
"I would never like a human dirty place!" Zim screamed angrily while sitting. "But that's not why! It was to prevent you taking MY MISSION."  
Tak didn't look very surprised. But she also wasn't expecting that answer.  
"Do you know when they open the door?" She asked quietly.  
"In the morning. I think at six o'clock in human time."  
Tak just sighed and closed her eyes. She felt too stressed to do anything.  
Then she opened them again.  
It was morning. She looked at a clock that was across the room. "7:23 am"  
Tak looked Zim. He was asleep again. She noted his breath for a few minutes; it was slow and deep. She had no desire to get up, but she did not like the idea of leaving Zim knowing that he slept by her.  
Tak thought about it more, and then realized how disgusting it was to have slept near one of the Irkens she hated most.  
So she got up and left.


	4. Ch 4 Undefended

Seven days. Just seven more horrible days with nothing happening.  
"Ugh... I just want leave here…" Zim groaned to himself.  
Zim began to try to sleep at night, since this was the only thing he had to pass the time. The day had started fresh; some sunshine slapped his sleepy face.  
A small screen left his Pak. The little Irken waited a few minutes, but all he saw was static. He tried to call Gir sometimes, unsuccessfully. Zim wasn't sure if the hospital blocking the connection or if it was a result of the fall he had.  
He adjusted the pillow so that he could sit. Zim was staring into space thoughtfully. In his trance, the hours quickly passed.  
He slowly picked up the book, which he had left under his pillow the whole time. Through his mind, perhaps Gir had hidden something in the book; a message, a weapon for him to flee. It had to have something.  
Zim examined the pages carefully, looking also between the markers and the cover.  
Nothing.  
He turned over the pages a few times, this time quickly.  
Zim then stopped, at some random page, too angry.  
"STUPID ROBOT! HE... HE REALLY THINKS THAT ZIM LIKES THAT... THAT..."  
"I didn't know you liked articles about pigs."  
Zim jumped startled, almost falling out of bed. Tak entered the room without Zim noticing. He had not realized how focused he was on his thoughts.  
"No! I was just… ZIM DOESN'T LIKE YOU! OKAY?" He quickly put the book under the pillow again, shouting nervously.  
"Yeah…" Tak was not convinced, but had no interest in knowing the subject of the book.  
"So, why did you come here, again?" He snorted.  
"I finished my plan to dominate the Earth." She spoke slowly in a teasing tone. "The Tallest are coming here in a few days. So I came to see you one last time."  
"And why do you like to spend time here?"  
"Because you don't like me." Tak smiled wickedly.  
"If I were you, I would already have destroyed the Earth."  
Tak expression changed, she looked at him angrily.  
"What are you suggesting?"  
"Everyone knows that I was one of the best students in the training of invaders." Zim said in a snobby tone. "I remember the comments about you very well. They said you had to do military academy twice because of your lack of agility. And you flunked the test of general knowledge. Right?"  
"That test was sabotaged!" Tak growled squeezing her fists. But then she relaxed and the smile returned to her face. "I think you also remember how you were suspended from training for bad behavior."  
''LIES! It was all the fault of Invader Stink! He made everyone believe that was my fault!"  
"I still believe them. The way you behave, it is quite likely that you are also lying."  
"I SAID THAT WAS NOT ZIM'S FAULT!"  
"Also wasn't the destruction of Operation Impending Doom 1 your fault?"  
"That was better for all Irkens. I still think they should thank me." He crossed his arms, annoyed.  
"Please, tell me you're joking." Tak said harshly. "You killed over two thousand Irkens and destroyed more than half of the planet!"  
"At least, I was not downgraded to a janitorial." He spoke in a tone of provocation.  
"ENOUGH!"  
Tak then could no longer control her anger. She rested her arms on each side of the bed and leaned forward, forcing Zim to look directly at her. Zim tried to retreat with no success.  
Her hands were toward his neck. But she stopped halfway. Her sanity was stronger this time. So, she just took a deep breath.  
"I think you're not in a good position to talk to me this way, little man." She whispered in a threatening tone a few centimeters away from his face. "When this stinking planet belongs to me, you'll be the first one I'll kill! And it will be in the most painful way you can imagine! YOU IDIOT!" Tak screamed and could hear a soft moan of pain coming from Zim. She was right next to him and the scream bothered his hearing.  
Tak moved away to see a nervous Zim looking at her. He wasn't sure why, but those words affected him in a greater way than she imagined.  
She just looked at him with disgust and went away. Every minute with him filled her with more hate and she knew she would lose self-control if she stayed there any longer.  
Zim continued with the same expression of shock for a few minutes. Until the moment his body relaxed and made him lay down. He covered his body completely with the blanket again. For some reason he could think better there.  
He felt a horrible feeling; fear?  
_"No! Zim can't be afraid!"_ He insisted to himself. But then he noticed his body shaking. And then his temperature dropped sharply.  
Maybe he couldn't handle it all. Tak was stealing his mission, but he... he couldn't...do anything...


	5. Ch 5 Fragile

Over three days had passed. Tak was in her base, looking at the screen of her computer absently.  
That last discussion with Zim didn't come out of her head. When she remembered how he mentioned her time in the cleaning service, she grew furious. Tak didn't want to leave it this way. She felt she should have won that argument, that offense was something too serious to ignore.  
Then she got up, determined to finish it.  
Tak activated her disguise and went into the hospital. A few minutes later she arrived there, she stepped into the elevator waiting to reach the sixth floor. The Irken thought for a moment, she didn't know what to do when she got there. She just had another discussion. The idea to kill him was tempting, but she wasn't sure, thought she should make him suffer a little longer for he had destroyed her chance to become an invader.  
Tak stopped in front of the door.  
Room number 43; the same room where she entered several times; where she faced the same green boy.  
But this time, she would do something with him. And he couldn't do anything to defend himself.  
Tak breathed in and opened the door abruptly.  
Then she stopped surprised at front that scene.  
Zim was sitting on his bed, staring into nothing with a look of shock and his skin was paler than usual.  
She stood, waiting for him to say something. But he didn't do anything.  
"Well… Zim! I came here to end our discussion!" Tak approached the bed.  
Zim made only a brief movement with his head in agreement, without looking away.  
"I'm serious! Look at me!" She grabbed his shirt forced Zim to turn to her. "What's your problem, you idiot?"  
He just stared at her. The Irken had a sad expression, somewhat depressed in his face.  
"Don't be quiet like that! Say something!" Tak shook him angrily.  
"You… were right." Zim murmured without looking in her eyes.  
"What are you talking about?" She let go of him, confused.  
"Well, I think you won. You could hold me here and take my mission." Zim lay back pulling the blankets over him. "And you came here to rub it in my face. Right?"  
Tak felt what could have been a twinge of guilt. She didn't think he'd be so depressed about this.  
"So, maybe you already have entitlement that I ruined your life. Why didn't you call the Tallest to end this?" Zim murmured beneath the blankets.  
_"I think you played too much with his feelings."_ A voice said in her mind. Why did she have such a consciousness? Why did she feel guilty about that? She should feel happy, she destroyed his life.  
No... She needed to say the truth.  
"Well, if it makes you feel better." Tak paused, Zim came out slowly under the covers, curious. "I was lying about making a new plan."  
She looked at Zim, hoping he'd have a fit of rage, but he just stood staring at her with a naive look in his face.  
The two were silent for a few minutes.  
"You shouldn't have lied to Zim..." He looked disapprovingly, his eyes were a bit wet… "You are bad to Zim..."  
She felt a pang of guilt and turned to look down. Meanwhile, Zim also turned his gaze to another place, while trying determinately to hold back some tears that he felt.  
"I'm sorry…" Tak said, without thinking. In an attempt to console him, she held one of his hands.  
A moment of awkward silence passed.  
_"I really did that?"_ She thought, as she tried to get her hand away quickly. Zim now looked the scene in shock.  
On second thought, nothing made much sense. It was better to leave before things got worse…  
"So, if that's all... I'm going back home…" She said breaking the silence and going toward the door.  
Tak gave a last look back. Zim's expression remained the same, so she left the room.  
He was alone again. Zim stared at the door for a few more minutes, maybe hours. He lost track of time, hoping that Tak would come back, or other person. He just didn't want to be alone.  
Then the door opened, but this time, it was Gir.  
"Hi master! I brought tacos to make you happy!" The little robot jumped on the bed opening a bag full of tacos.  
"Gir, where were you?" Zim asked relaxing a little.  
"I was making tacos." He ate one of them. "You want to help me?" The robot paused, trying to remember something. "Sorry master, I can get you out of here if you want."  
"You don't need to…" Zim looked down. "I can wait." He gently stroked his hand. He could still feel her touch. He wasn't really paying attention in his own words.  
There was silence again, except for the sound of Gir eating tacos.  
"Are you okay?" Gir looked worried.  
"I don't know Gir. Go home, I need to think." Zim pointed to the door, taking an authoritarian tone. "If Dib noted my absence he may try to infiltrate the base, so you need to stand guard."  
"Okey-dokey! Bye master!" Gir waved before leaving.


	6. Ch 6 New Chance

Already had spent nearly a week. Without receiving any news if could come out. He was beginning to think it had been forgotten.  
But Zim was not thinking about it, he was thinking of Tak. Why she apologized and held his hand? Zim had a little suspicious of she liked him. But he was wrong last time. He'd have to see it better. But that lie was like a punch. She made him believe that everything in his life was over, just for fun.  
He was still shaken by it all. Okay, at least his mission was saved, but Zim could feel their anxiety increased because of the insulation.  
He heard the sound of the door opening. Zim thought Gir had come back to keep him company, which would be good at the moment.  
But was just the doctor of the first day.  
"I just came to saying at the end of the day you will make one more X-ray."  
"Yeah, whatever." He replied without interest.  
"Do not worry, you will be able to go home in a few days." He paused to look at something on his clipboard. "That reminds me, we need the number from your parents or a guardian."  
Zim felt his blood be cold, he had no parent or guardian, and he could not just say it was independent.  
"I… I don't remember." It was the only thing he could think of.  
"Don't worry doctor, he's with me." Tak's voice said before she entering the room.  
"Are you a relative of his?" The doctor looked puzzled for two, looking for any similarities.  
"I am the older cousin furthest from him." She said confident, stopping beside his bed. "His parents are gone for a while, and even find them, I'm in charge of caring for him."  
The doctor looked at Zim, he nodded in agreement with Tak. On second thought, her stature really gave the impression that she was older.  
"Well, we doesn't have any more information about he, then you are responsible for him now." The doctor leave the room, leaving the two alone.  
"I think you'll have to come here more often now." Zim said  
"I know little man." Tak can hear a growl softly. "Looks like that people have forgotten you, right? You are too insignificant to even those dirty humans." Zim only replied with a sigh depressed.  
The two were silent for a moment.  
"Why you need do the things difficult?" Zim has completely changed the subject.  
Tak just looked confused at him. Since it was kind of obvious that he would continue, it was better to be silent.  
"You lied for Zim. NOBODY CAN LIE TO ZIM!" Zim shook a little and took a deep breath. As if he had difficulty to speaking. "You touched my hand…YOU CAN'T TOUCH THE HAND OF ZIM!" Zim screamed before pulling the blanket and cover his body.  
"I didn't want to do that , if hear it makes you better!" She pulled the covers back abruptly, making Zim look at her.  
Another moment of silence.  
Unexpectedly, Zim quickly approached Tak and gave her a kiss. She went into shock for a moment, then pushed him away from her.  
"Hey! You can't kiss me like out of nowhere!"  
"What? I'm really sure you like Zim." He crossed his arms, a bit indignantly.  
"You are ridiculous." She ran her hand over her mouth in a futile attempt to clean it.  
" Zim isn't… Wait." Zim stopped to think a bit before continuing. "Why aren't you trying to take my mission now?" He asked in a serious way.  
Her expression suddenly changed, she looks like nervous, as if hiding something.  
Zim affectionately took one of her hands. He was always curious and had the impression of what would have to be more delicate if wanted to know.  
"Why you looks like sad?"  
Tak was silent, looked like she would cry.  
"The Tallest thought I was not being very loyal, and was also causing much problems." Zim can feel that she was trembling. "Then they banned me, now I'm nothing." But then she looked angry to Zim. "And since when do you care?"  
"If you have been banned will no longer disrupt my mission. So why not?" He said disinterested while playing with her hand distractedly.  
"Maybe you're right, maybe." Tak rested her head on his shoulder. In the last days she can't relax a single moment. "Classes will start monday."  
"Will not you come in this day?"  
"I'll find a way, little man." Zim looked with disapproval. He was already getting used to the nickname. "But you contributed to them banned me, so do not expect that I'll forgive you so fast." Zim just nodded, thought it was better not to discuss now.  
After a few minutes of silence, the doctor returned.  
"We will make your radiography in a few minutes, green boy."  
"I'm going soon." Zim said rude before the doctor leaving the room.  
"You don't even want to leave this place?"  
"You think I can't stand? Zim can stand everything!" He said just for arrogance. Still bitterly regretted having refused the help of Gir.  
"You're stupid."  
"No, I don't."

**Note: English isn't my first language and I could get anyone to correct starting this chapter, so sorry for the grammar mistakes.**


	7. Ch 7 Medicine

Tak sat beside the bed, while Zim looked at the pictures of his leg. He looked like a little disappointed with the result. He sighed and then tore the pictures.  
The weather was a bit heavy. Threatening another rain. Zim turned to absently playing with her hands, since she wasn't really care about it.  
None of them was willing to break the silence. Tak looked around the room until her eyes stop on the Zim's pillow. She look at him quickly. A small smirk appeared on her face as her fingers slid gently under the pillow.  
"So... guess I'll go home now..." Tak finally spoke, Zim stopped playing with her hands and looked unhappy.  
"You going to leave Zim?" Zim screamed indignantly.  
"Maybe, or…" She made a pause. "Why didn't you tell me about your book?" She pulled the book under his pillow, as she spoke sarcastically.  
Zim looked confused for a moment. Tak smiled again. She wasn't care about the subject, just wanted to have some fun with his reaction.  
"Huh…You know, it's a book about... pigs!" He did a nervous smile.  
"You don't mind if I'll read, right?" Tak flipped through a few pages.  
"NO!" He took the book and clasped against his body to Tak did not get it back.  
"Come on. I know you don't read it." Tak grumbled of he had spoiled the joke.  
"I SAID NO!" He threw the book in the same trash where he had thrown the photos.  
He quickly calmed down, it almost looked like that he just had "hung up". Tak looked at him questioning mood change. Well, at least it was better than him angry. For a moment she thought they were giving some medicine for him. But it was just unlikely, he only had a few broken bones, nothing more.  
"You already imagine can being here, or ... something?"  
"No…" She raised an eyebrow, curious.  
"Hmm… A few days ago you wanted to kill me… You still want to kill Zim?  
"Why you ask?"  
"I just thought." Zim pulled the covers and covered his body.  
Tak was thoughtful, she could kill him right there if she want. But she didn't had desire. Then she was interrupted when Zim came out from under the covers abruptly.  
"You know what? I hate this place! I hope it explodes! Or something like that!" He started scream. Tak looked at him puzzled.  
"What were you doing? Be quiet!"  
"Make me, janitorial!"  
Tak gritted teeth, she grabbed his shoulders and forced him against the bed. Zim struggled and screamed in a sort of growl., trying to get up, but in a point he calmed down inexplicably.  
"Zim, this isn't normal." She let him, his eyes accompanied her, as if he did not understand what was happening. "They are giving some medicine for you?"  
"No." He rolled his eyes. He had a little jolt, it seems he had remembered something. "Well, I think a thing... anestasy, I guess is the name."  
"Anesthesia." Tak corrected. "Why are they giving this to you? You don't need it!" Tak then paused, so maybe they imagined that he would be calmer. That undoubtedly affected their emotions, but not in the way expected.  
"I don't know. Maybe I need." Tak felt uncomfortable. That behavior wasn't normal. At least, not for Zim. A human could say this and just accept. But Zim, is more possible that he has a discussion with the doctors.  
Tak leaned on the bed, with a questionable tone.  
"So you just agreed to this? Didn't think it could kill you, perhaps?" She spoke the words calmly, in a way as to be annoying. Zim was a little embarrassed, he failed to notice the sarcasm.  
"They said I would feel better, and it would be only a small dose…" He spoke with pauses, struggling to remember what they said, his memory wasn't very good. "I just wanted to feel better..."  
Tak sighed.  
"Just don't accept it in the next time, ok?" She gave him a cold stare. That was not a request, and she make it really obvious.  
"Yeah… ok." Zim felt uncomfortable with the threat.  
He blinked, as if he had suddenly remembered something. His head turned to the window, which was across the room, the sun already hid behind the buildings, leaving the city with a beautiful orange tone. But Zim didn't seem interested in that. His eyes stared at the corners of the window, looking for something.  
Tak was already heading toward the door when he turned his attention to her.  
"You will come tomorrow?" That question sounded ridiculously innocent.  
"Well, I can try." She shrugged, without giving much importance.  
"Ah… Ok…" Zim looked down, obviously frustrated. Maybe Tak should have seen it before leaving.  
His attention turned to the window again.  
The sun had already gone.


	8. Ch 8 Despair

Tak felt a shiver down her spine when leaving the house, as if something was wrong. The weekend had arrived and she had done absolutely nothing, everything was so... empty.  
Tak gave shuffling footsteps toward the hospital. She imagined she would feel better knowing that someone would be happy to see her. The sky was overcast half, and did not take long to emerge a few drops. Tak was forced to run the rest of the way, lucky for she was not far off, she slammed the door abruptly and let out a sigh of relief.  
Tak watched for a moment the rain through the glass door, the drops pounded hard against the glass, as if trying to catch her, she cringed a little at the idea of going back outside.  
"Just hope the rain ends soon…" Tak whispered to herself as she walked toward the bedroom.  
She felt another shiver when stayed in front of the door.  
"Well, it's a bit cold today, that must be it." She straightened her jacket, trying to cover her body a bit more, maybe.  
Tak opened the door slowly and gave a brief observed about the room, before she felt her blood freeze.  
The bed was empty.  
She was in shock for a moment, just looking at that pile of blankets messy, trying to understand what happened. Tak approached for a closer look, the bed was actually empty. She felt another shiver, this time worse, something was wrong.  
Tak looked around again, the place was too small for someone to hide. She tried to stay calm, but then felt the panic dominate her when she look to the window and saw the rain.  
"No... he didn't it..."  
She knew where he was, didn't know how, but she was sure. Maybe a sixth sense? He had no time to think about it, she was too busy rushing out of the hospital. The rain was burning her skin, Tak just ignored, now she just had to find it, and quickly.  
- Not far away.-  
A small green creature walked through an alley. The rain was burning his skin, but he didn't care. He just wanted to go home and leave that horrible place, never imagined he would come to the point of doing this, but now he was there.  
The plaster on his leg was heavier than he imagined. He trudged slowly, leaning on the walls, while the water burned his sensitive skin.  
Zim paused for a moment to take a breath, he felt angry for what to be taking so long. He shivered for the cold, that outfit the hospital was too slight, he could not feel his own arms. But he would not stop, not until get home.  
"No, I can't stop, Zim is stronger than all that." He said to himself.  
Then he heard steps approaching rapidly, and panicked. Zim tried to go faster, but eventually stumbled and fell into a puddle of water letting out a scream of pain.  
He tried to get up, but was too weak to do it. Tak approached him, she said nothing, gave him a disapproving look and grabbed his arm firmly.  
"NO! LET ME! LET ME NOW!" Zim screamed with forces still had.  
Tak looked around quickly and see an awning. She dragged Zim to under it. She wasn't thinking very well, just wanted to get him out of the rain. Tak pushed him against the wall, she held his wrists tightly. She was silent for a moment examining him to see if he was okay.  
Zim looked into her eyes for a brief moment, she was obviously worried.  
"You…YOU IDIOT! ARE YOU CRAZY? YOU COULD HAVE DIED!"  
"I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK THERE!"  
"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"  
"I DON'T WANT! THAT PLACE STINKS AND I SPEND DAYS ALONE!"  
"FINE! I STAND WITH YOU!"  
The two stopped screaming, they stared for each other a moment of silence. Tak noted that it could reach an agreement.  
"Yeah... I stand, all days…" Tak said, now in a gentle voice.  
"Is a promise?" Zim asked, he wasn't very confident about her.  
"Yes… a promise." She bit her lip nervously.  
"Eh…This is weird." Zim looked down.  
"Why?"  
"I thought you wouldn't search for me." He looked back at her.  
Tak felt a lump in her throat. He managed to say that with such innocence, he really did not think she cared about him. She unexpectedly gave him a hug. His body was terribly cold and she could feel the little creature trembling in her arms.  
No, she wouldn't cry, he was safe now, that was what mattered.  
Zim did not say a word, he even tried, but realized he had lost his voice. In fact, things were getting a little blurry. He could feel the breath of Tak against her body, she was warm, unlike him, perhaps, if he passed out or something, at least she was protecting him.  
That thought made him feel safer.  
He didn't care much when everything went dark.


End file.
